inbound
silent solution
It might have been the quietest launch party ever. Orange
pod-shaped robots carrying bright blue racks zoomed
silently around in the background as third-party logistics
service provider Quiet Logistics announced that it was open
for business. The robots are part of a unique order picking
system from Kiva Systems (the robots bring storage racks to
the pickers, rather than the other way around), which is the
centerpiece of the new 3PL’s operation.
At the event, Quiet Logistics also introduced its first customer, Music Parts Plus, an online seller of parts and accessories for musical instruments. Until now, Kiva’s system has
been adopted by large companies, including Staples,
Walgreens, and Zappos.com (see “a DC gets its own fast fulfillment,” September 2008, www.dcvelocity.com). Quiet
Logistics hopes to prove that the zippy little pods will
improve order picking accuracy and cycle times for small
and medium-sized businesses, too.
Dominick Moreo, CEO of two-year-old Music Parts Plus,
said the system solved his biggest headache almost immediately. As musicians discovered the e-tailer’s low prices and
prompt turnaround, order volumes had overwhelmed its
manual fulfillment system, leading to shipping delays as well as
slotting and picking errors for the
thousands of small, look-alike parts.
Now, bar-code scanning and a laser-
directed pick-to-light system ensure slotting and order
accuracy. And because the robots bring racks to pickers,
picking and packing can be done simultaneously. Further
speeding things along is a Web “storefront” system that
automatically feeds order information directly to Quiet
Logistics, so that orders usually are shipped the same day.
“Our feedback scores on eBay are 100 percent positive,” said
Moreo. “And almost all of them specifically cite our super-fast, accurate shipping.”
The operation is still in its infancy, and Music Parts Plus’s
inventory currently occupies just a corner of the DC. But
Quiet Logistics CEO Bruce Welty says Kiva’s system is easily
scalable, and that he’ll announce another customer soon.
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